Weedon's World of Nature

Bittern at Woodwalton Fen video

2012-01-16T11:23:00.003Z

Bittern at Woodwalton Fen NNR

2012-01-15T17:59:00.003Z

Digiscoped in the reeds of the far side of Gordon's Mere on 15.1.12.

Tundra Bean Geese, Langtoft, Lincs

2012-01-10T14:36:00.004Z

Yesterday, Josh Jones found a flock of four Tundra Beans in the private pits of his local patch, the Baston and Langtoft complex. They were almost certainly the same four that he found late in 2011 in the area. On my way to twitch them there this lunchtime, I popped into Langtoft West End pits to see if they had relocated there, and almost immediately refound them along with the Greylags and an adult and juvenile European White-fronted Goose.
These are the four Beans. Note that one appears to have a damaged (whitish) right eye; this should at least make identifying the flock reasonably straightforward if they wander (whither it may be...).
Already in 2012, in the Peterborough area, I have seen Brent, White-fronted, Bean and Egyptian Geese, which is a good little haul of geese for January around these parts.

2011 One per month: WINNERS

2012-01-06T09:52:00.002Z

Thanks to everyone who voted for my favourite photos for the past 12 months. To my great surprise, 9 out of the 12 received a vote for the top photo. Only one (September's phalarope) received no votes at all!. Four photos dominated proceedings, and though the winner was just about a clear favourite, the other three were almost inseperable. These are the top four of my photos as voted by you, my dear readers (as ever, click them to see more detail):

FIRST: November, Crested Tit

JOINT SECOND: July, Chalkhill Blue and bee

JOINT SECOND: June, Wood Mouse

FOURTH: January, Waxwings

House Sparrow mass roost, Faro, Algarve

2012-01-04T11:44:00.003Z

House Sparrow chorus by Weedons World
Perhaps, once upon a time, it would have been possible to hear a racket like this in the UK, even in London. It is at least encouraging that sparrow populations are still quite high somewhere in western Europe. This recording was made in September 2011. There were thousands upon thousands of birds in the roost in trees next to the bar we were drinking at and I recorded this by wandering around under them with my camera on 'voice memo'.

2011 One per month

2012-01-03T12:06:00.017Z

Please leave a comment to vote for your top three favourite photos of the year, from this bunch. Results will be announced shortly...

January: Waxwings, Werrington, Peterborough

February: Marsh Tit, Castor Hanglands, Cambridgeshire

March: Little Gull, Ferry Meadows CP, Peterborough

April: Ptarmigans, Cairngorm

May: Brown Bear, near Kuhmo, Finland

June: Wood Mouse, our garden, Peterborough

July: Chalkhill Blue and bee, Barnack Hills and Holes, Cambridgeshire

August: Pied Flycatcher, Murrow, Cambridgeshire

September: Grey Phalarope, Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire

October: Turnstone, The Algarve, Portugal

November: Crested Tit, Loch Garten RSPB

December: male, Sparrowhawk, our garden, Peterborough

Young Peregrine at Woodwalton Fen

2011-12-19T14:45:00.004Z

We are blessed with a decent population of Peregrines in and around Peterborough. I have seen half a dozen or so even in the last couple of weeks at widely scattered sites. They hunt the Nene Washes, are seen in the centre of the city and are regularly seen around the 'higher' hills to the west of the A1M.
This young male, though (aged on the streaked not barred) breast, brownish, buff-fringed upperparts; sexed on relatively small size) was hunting ducks, small gulls and pigeons at Woodwalton Fen NNR yesterday early mornign (hence the glowing light). It was the second day running I had seen a Peregrine at the reserve, but the previous day's bird was a much bigger, grey bird, which I had down as an adult female.
Though I can't move for Peregrines, I still haven't seen a Merlin in the Peterborough area this year. And I crave this 'core' species, just to tickle my local year list up to 182 species. Three weeks to go...

Garden Sparrowhawk

2011-12-14T09:05:00.003Z

This exquisite male was outside our bedroom window this morning. Luckily it stayed long enough a. for the children to see it and b. for Ed to fetch my camera for a few shots...

Mars Robot

2011-12-09T15:20:00.002Z

About 40 years ago, when I was a tiddly wee lad, I made up a song called Mars Robot. I used to strum a small out of tune guitar rather randomly and sing this ditty as if I was a Glam Rock star. So, I thought I'd record a version and this is it...
Mars Robot by Weedons World

Digiscoped Kestrel

2011-12-01T13:57:00.002Z

Scaup is 180

2011-11-28T23:43:00.002Z

Josh Jones found this Scaup today among Tufties and the odd Wigeon on the cut of the River Welland known as the Deeping High Bank. I twitched it at lunchtime for my 180th PBC area tick for the year. Within half an hour I was on 181, after Josh, once more, found his first ever local tundra Bean Geese, four of them at Baston and Langtoft pits.

Red Grice in moorland

2011-11-23T10:37:00.000Z

Male

Female

Red Squirrel, Loch Garten

2011-11-22T17:19:00.001Z

Cute, innit?

Red-throated Diver, Black Isle

2011-11-22T12:56:00.004Z

A tame (tired?) winter-plumaged individual, digiscoped in fading light

European White-fronted Goose video

2011-11-20T18:28:00.001Z

European White-fronted Goose

2011-11-20T16:46:00.005Z

This bird was found with Greylags at Ferry Meadows CP earlier in the week. It is part of a widespread influx of Euro Whitefronts into the country. In fact, we found a couple in northern Scotland a few days ago in a flock of wild Greylags, plus a couple of Barnacles, six Tundra Beans and a Ross's Goose.
The Whitefront was number 179 for my 2011 PBC year list.

Crested Tits, Loch Garten

2011-11-19T18:26:00.003Z

I saw my first ever Crested Tits as a teenager, exploring the forest around Loch Garten before paying homage to the hide where you can watch the famous nesting Ospreys. More than 30 years later, I was at Loch Garten again with a group from Heatherlea (on a trip promoted by Bird Watching Magazine), photographing these delightful little birds. These are a few of the first I've processed (and probably the best of the bunch, to be fair). Enjoy!

Slavonian Grebes at Beebies pits

2011-11-11T17:26:00.002Z

These two were found at lunchtime by local bird-finder and whippet-lover, Paul Taylor. Thanks very much for the call, Paul which prompted a cylcing twitch from work. These are the third and fourth I have ever seen in the Peterborough area. PBC year list has now matched last year's 177.

Grey Phalarope at Ferry Meadows CP

2011-11-09T11:25:00.004Z

A wonderful cycle-to-work find by Brian Stone this morning at 8.30am was this lickle chap (an advanced 1st-winter judging by a few retained dark tertials and coverts). It was a flighty fella and called frequently (like a soft, clipped Coot call). Unfortunately, it couldn't get settled and flew off high at 10am. These shots were the best I could muster. A very nice BIGBY tick, FM tick, year tick and only my second Grey Phalarope in the Peterborough area. One of the birds of the year, locally.

A wee ditty

2011-11-04T19:50:00.000Z

Japanproject by Weedons World
Which goes by the name of Japanproject (part of a work in progress...)

Tree Frog

2011-10-25T12:47:00.005Z

At Frank & Daniela McClintock's place in the Algarve...

Snow cold Raven

2011-10-21T15:13:00.001Z

Just a few more from Portugal...

2011-10-17T09:23:00.003Z

Mediterranean Gulls

Cory's Shearwater

Common Tern

Yellow-legged Gull

Short-toed Eagle

Dunlin (digiscoped)

2011-10-14T15:01:00.005Z

Great Shearwater

2011-10-14T15:01:00.002Z

One that got away...

Caspian Tern

2011-10-14T15:00:00.002Z

Violet Dropwing

2011-10-14T14:57:00.002Z

Please correct me, if this is the wrong species...

Ta to John Wright for the ID

More Black-winged Stilts

2011-10-14T14:54:00.002Z

Purple Gallinule

2011-10-14T14:53:00.000Z

Azure-winged Magpies

2011-10-14T14:52:00.000Z

Red-rumped Swallows

2011-10-14T14:51:00.000Z

Storm Petrels

2011-10-14T14:49:00.001Z

Whimbrel, Algarve

2011-10-14T14:39:00.003Z

An ugly spider

2011-10-09T20:12:00.003Z

Anyone know what this chap is (from SW Portugal)? I suspect it may be Argiope lobata.

Avocet reflections

2011-10-09T20:10:00.000Z

Greater Flamingos

2011-10-09T20:00:00.002Z

Tavira

Salgado

Crested Lark, Salgado (digiscoped)

2011-10-09T15:07:00.000Z

Cory's Shearwater in evening light

2011-10-09T14:59:00.002Z

European Storm-petrel off Sagres

2011-10-09T14:54:00.001Z

That is unless they have split these petrels further, and I'm missing something...

Short-toed Eagle

2011-10-09T14:50:00.003Z

Luckily, a local birder (originally from the UK) gave us permission to walk 200m over public land to photograph this eagle in south-westernmost Portugal. I'll e-mail him to ask permission to write these words, shortly...
These were the last photographs before the 300mm Canon lens literally fell apart in my hand.

Calling Whimbrel

2011-10-09T14:10:00.002Z

Spoonbills in a working habitat

2011-10-09T14:05:00.003Z

Dunlin

2011-10-09T14:03:00.002Z

Black-winged Stilts (digiscoped)

2011-10-09T13:56:00.003Z

Black-winged Stilts, Tavira, Algarve, Portugal

Humbug-striped bee, Algarve

2011-10-09T13:55:00.000Z

Anyone know the species?

Red-veined Darter

2011-10-09T13:54:00.000Z

Tavira waders, part 1

2011-10-07T07:22:00.004Z

Dunlin

Ringed Plover

Kentish Plover

Turnstone eating pupae

2011-10-06T22:06:00.001Z

Greater Flamingo (digiscoped)

2011-10-04T20:47:00.002Z

Crested Lark, Salgado, Portugal

2011-10-04T20:25:00.003Z

Grey Plover (digiscoped)

2011-10-04T20:14:00.001Z

The power of digiscoping (Canon PowerShot S95)...

Sabine's Gull revisited

2011-09-21T20:07:00.000Z

Grey Phalarope again

2011-09-21T18:54:00.005Z

Grey Phalarope

2011-09-21T16:37:00.002Z

King Canute: Grey Phalarope, Grafham Water

2011-09-21T08:13:00.004Z

Sabine's Gull, Grafham Water (DSLR)

2011-09-20T23:00:00.001Z

Sabine's Gull, Grafham Water (digiscoped)

2011-09-20T19:40:00.005Z

Did you spot a couple of cameo appearances (Grey Phalarope & Ringed Plover)?

Oh, for some sunlight...

Black Rustic

2011-09-20T13:13:00.000Z

New for the garden this morning

Wheatear at Prior's Fen

2011-09-19T06:41:00.002Z

Prior's Fen used to be one of the best areas in the PBC area for birds. It consists of a succession of gravel pits on farmland near the Nene Washes. Flying in west from along the River Nene from The Wash, it is one of the first decent-sized areas of water a bird will see. Back in the day, the edges were fresh and muddy, so waders turned up regularly. The two pits in the east were undisturbed and there were good flocks of wildfowl, and the area became one of the best for wild geese and ducks such as Smew and Scaup. The reeds held annual Bearded Tits in autumn.
The best pit of all was dug in the early 2000s and left with little water for a long time. This had Peterborough's first successful breeding pair of Avocets and was a great place to look for all the main scarce waders, even Pectoral Sandpiper. Later, as it filled, it still drew in regular Rock Pipits, Smew and Scaup and was where Kevin Du Rose et al found a Sabine's Gull in September 2004, a week after he found a Red-backed Shrike.
Noweadays, the management has changed, the footpath from Stonebridge Corner is a shameful disgrace – ploughed over in an attempt to make the site as inaccessible as possible. The overgrown, edgeless pits are surrounded in stiff barbed wire and electric fencing, and are so disturbed by fishing that they are bird free; and the mood is threatening and very unpleasant.
The farmers, fishermen and gunmen have done their job and it is now, sadly like many areas in the PBC area now not worth visiting.
Here, though, is a nice, richly-coloured (?Greenland) Wheatear along the 'footpath'. Probably the last bird I will ever photograph at Prior's Fen.

From the Archive... No.21

2011-09-14T21:32:00.002Z

Chalkhill Blue

Chalkhill Poo

The Moon (digiscoped)

2011-09-13T17:51:00.002Z

Rainbow over Farcet

2011-09-13T17:50:00.002Z

Red Underwing

2011-09-03T12:28:00.000Z

Biscay 2011, Part 3: Common Dolphins

2011-09-02T16:29:00.001Z

Biscay 2011, Part 2: Great Shearwaters

2011-09-02T16:25:00.004Z

Biscay 2011, Part 1: Cory's Shearwaters

2011-09-02T16:11:00.002Z

I have just returned from a great birding and whale-watching trip on the Bay of Biscay, guided and arranged by School of Whales in association with Bird Watching Magazine. I was guiding with Ian Rowlands and Colin Williams on Brittany Ferries' Pont-Aven with a group of about 40 lovely people. It was my first trip across on this particular route (the Pride of Bilbao no longer runs across the Bay), and I have to say I was very impressed. Thanks to everyone for making it such a great trip.
We saw 7 species of cetacean, and had a fantastic seabird trip, with 6 shearwater species and plentiful Sabine's Gulls,

Highlights from the trip included:
Fin Whale, c10,
Pilot Whale, c12,
Cuvier's Beaked Whale, 2,
Striped Dolphin, c300-500,
Common Dolphin, c500-750,
Bottlenosed Dolphin, 9,
Harbour Porpoise, c20,
Great Shearwater, 500-1,000+,
Cory's Shearwater, 500-750,
Sooty Shearwater, c15,
Manx Shearwater, c50,
Balearic Shearwater, c10,
Little Shearwater, 3,
Sabine's gull, c30,
Grey Phalarope, 2,
Marsh Harrier, 1,
Turtle Dove, 3,
Sedge Warbler, 1,
Yellow Wagtail, 2

I didn't take too many decent photographs, but I did get a few Cory's and Great Shearwaters and one or two Common Dolphins. Here are the Cory's for starters...

Burnished Brass: it's shiny!

2011-08-30T07:57:00.004Z

Pied Flycatcher at Murrow

2011-08-27T19:11:00.004Z

It has been a long time coming, but it was definitely worth it! My longest most irritating bogey bird has finally been and gone and been a-ticked. I can't count the number of hours I have spent attempting to twitch the untwitchable Pied Flycatcher, the amount of frustration I have experienced or the number of times I have thought, aha, this is the day I find a Piedy Fly.
I only feel sorry for the Peterborough area listers who were out of town today, notably John Saunders and most painful of all Brian Stone, who has 'needed' Pied Fly longer than me.
This first-winter bird turned up in Marie Barton's exceptional garden in Murrow, in the east of the PBC area. Last year she had a Yellow-browed Warbler there (which proved elusive). It arrived yesterday and thanks to some nasty weather last night, and her persistent viewing this morning, it was still around at around 12.30pm. Jasmine and I arrived at 1.30pm and were given grandstand seats for the wondrous action in the front garden (which looks a perfect Pied Flycatcher spot). Thank you very much, Marie.
My digiscoping camera was out of juice, but I managed these snaps with the DSLR and 300mm lens.
Bogey finally picked, I am very happy.

Wheatear at Maxey pits, 25.8.11

2011-08-25T19:36:00.004Z

In the early 2000s, when I was new to Peterborough, I used to think Wheatears were pretty scarce passage migrants in these parts. These days, they are regular as clockwork and in good numbers, usually dozens per year in the Peterborough area. One of the most reliable sites, be it spring or autumn is Maxey pits' Etton Road site.
There is a particular slope with gravelly rabbit holes which they appear at with incredible consistency. They use the hole entrances as retreats/look-out posts whenever a human comes near. It is fascinating to think how they must fly by on their long movements north and south and home-in on this tiny patch of ground.
Incidentally, I think the black lores make this bird a very fresh male.
Anyhow, these shots were digiscoped with the Canon Powershot S95 and in my opinion show that is a very capable digiscoping beast. Though the photos were taken at about 1/80sec hand-held, in rather dim light, they are pretty darn sharp.
What do you think?

Moth ID: White-point

2011-08-23T07:24:00.004Z

I have had several Clays this year, and when I saw this moth it struck me that it was its similar rare (in these parts) confusion species, White-point. My photos are so bad, that I may find it hard to make a convincing case. Then again, they may be good enough to make a chump of me. What do you think, mothers, White-point or Clay?
STOP PRESS: The experts on Cammoths have confirmed that this moth is indeed a White-point, which has been recorded in good numbers apparently this year in Cambs. I believe there have also been a couple of VC32 (northants) records this year.

Today's moth goodies

2011-08-18T15:35:00.002Z

Orange Sallow, one of two in the trap this morning

The Crescent

Old Ladies

Garden Sedge Warbler

2011-08-18T07:33:00.004Z

We have and a brilliant year for warblers in our maturing garden, with seven species now recorded. The first Sedge Warbler of the year remained an unseen singer, deep within a bush, but this little fellow is more extrovert, coming to feed on insects among our pond's vegetation. I snapped this this morning while I was processing moths this morning.

One or two more moths

2011-08-14T18:58:00.004Z

Six-striped Rustic (new for garden)

Brown China-mark (ditto)

Orange Swifts

Large Tabby

Straw Underwing, just because it is very handsome...

Gold Spot

2011-08-14T12:17:00.002Z

I make no apologies for posting several photos of this most gorgeous of moths. A new moth for the garden, last night and 'rather local' in VC32.

In-wheel

2011-08-14T11:36:00.000Z

Southern Hawkers

Moths last night

2011-08-13T19:08:00.002Z

Maiden's Blush

Dark Sword-grass

Straw Underwing
Maiden's Blush and Dark Sword-grass were new for the garden. The Straw Underwing (new for the year) was in immaculate condition.

Wood Sandpiper

2011-08-13T14:54:00.003Z

John Saunders found a Wood Sandpiper at Maxey pits this morning. I went to check it out at midday and found there were two there. This is a very distant digiscoped photo of the less boldly marked of the two. My own particular jury is still out on the Canon Powershot S95 as a digiscoping camera, but it does excel at very long range shots.

Lapwing

2011-08-13T10:29:00.000Z

Woodpigeon

2011-08-12T20:51:00.001Z

Whinchat at Maxey pits

2011-08-12T20:19:00.002Z

I twitched this Whinchat at Maxey pits today. My PBC year list has now reached 165, I think...

My kind of moth

2011-08-06T15:26:00.003Z

This moth, caught on 2nd August was the sixth Toadflax Brocade I have caught this summer in our Peterborough garden. There is clearly some kind of population around here, while no one else in VC32 (Northants and P'boro) has yet recorded one as far as I know. These are lovely little moths, and at least the ID is not in doubt, unlike the Euxoa darts I have caught recently (such as the one below)...

White-line Dart?

2011-08-06T08:10:00.003Z

I caught this individual last night in Peterborough, and am looking for confirmation of its identity. Any ID help would be gratefully received. As far as I can tell (if With the eye of faith, I would say that with the eye of faith, you can see traces of the little blackish arrowheads in the outer part of the wing, which would point to White-line Dart. But with no experience of these species, I may be missing other features. I have the basic ID right), the possible confusion is with the rare Square-spot Dart.
Or is it a weird-looking Garden Dart?
White-line Dart is described as 'very local' in VC32 (northants and Peterborough), though 60 years ago it was apparently very common in some localities.

European Corn-borer

2011-08-05T06:25:00.003Z

Pretty scarce in VC32 (Northants and Peterborough), with perhaps 4 records before this year, this was in my trap yesterday.

The Crescent

2011-08-03T12:03:00.002Z

I nearly let this moth go without photographing it this morning, as I took it at first for one of the many colour morphs of the Common Rustic agg. But, then I noticed its pattern and shape were odd and photographed it. After several searches through the book I came across a local species The Crescent. Nice, innit?

Digiscoped Grey Heron

2011-08-01T09:23:00.002Z

Osprey at Maxey Pits (30.7.11)

2011-07-30T21:33:00.006Z

Second best find of the day for me, with an unphotographed Purple Heron winning the honours (Curlew gets bronze)

Curlew at Maxey Pits (30.7.11)

2011-07-30T21:32:00.001Z

Jethro Tull top ten

2011-07-29T19:07:00.002Z

I was thinking about my top ten Jethro Tull songs, for no obvious reason, and came up with this bunch off the top of my head (not necessarily in order of preference), which are probably not every body's cup of tea or the most obvious choices for some:

...And the Mouse Police Never Sleeps,
Thick as a Brick (side one),
Dun Ringill,
For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me,
Pibroch (Cap in Hand),
Songs From the Wood,
Black Satin Dancer,
Weathercock,
Flying Dutchman,
And Further On.

What do you reckon?

Garden Migrant Hawker

2011-07-28T21:22:00.000Z

My first of the year

Coupla scarce moths

2011-07-28T10:21:00.002Z

Garden Dart (I believe)

Recurvaria nanella (I think)
Here are a couple of moths I think I have correctly identified (but am always up for correction). Garden Dart is scarce these days in VC32 (Northamptonshire and Peterborough), while It hink is VC32's third record of Recurvaria nanella (the first was in 1994 and the second in my garden earlier this year)

Chalkhill Blue and friend

2011-07-26T16:09:00.002Z

Mystery Moth: Dog's Tooth

2011-07-26T11:28:00.003Z

Does anyone know what this moth is? It was in my trap in Peterborough (VC32) last night. For scale it is about the size of an upper range Common Rustic. I have a favoured candidate, but don't want to lead the witness(es).
Please help if you can!

STOP PRESS: Mark Hammond has responded to my cry for help on Cammoths and come uop with an ID of Dog's Tooth (which Brian Stone also would like to stake a little claim on). This isa 'Local' species nationally and in VC32.

Another Brown Hawker

2011-07-25T16:08:00.001Z

Recent moths

2011-07-25T16:03:00.003Z

Brown-line Bright-eye

Common Rustics and Lesser Common Rustics come in a wide variety of forms, but sadly can't be identified (apparently) by any means other than genital dissection (something I am not at all keen on, as it requires deliberately killing the moth)

Female Poplar Hawk-moth of the buff morph

Fruit and thorn

2011-07-17T17:52:00.001Z

Early Thorn

Barnack Hills and Holes

2011-07-14T20:16:00.004Z

Marbled Whites

Small Skipper

Large White

Small Copper

Small Marbled

2011-07-13T15:14:00.002Z

This scrappy little moth is not a chewed-up micro but a magnificently rare Immigrant macro called Small Marbled. According to the Northants Moths website, one appeared in Northamptonshire (ie VC32) in May 1953 and there hasn't been one since. As it happens, it turned up on 11.7.11, the same night as my two Toadflax Brocades and a Small Ranunculus.

Mounting the Pyramid

2011-07-12T16:14:00.002Z

Two rare beauties

2011-07-12T08:40:00.002Z

Toadflax Brocade (RDB) and Small Ranunculus (pRDB)

Toadflax Brocades

2011-07-12T08:33:00.004Z

The brighter of the two individuals

The less bright individual
Last year, I caught the first Toadflax Brocade for VC32 (Peterborough and Northamptonshire) on 15.8.10. Last night I caught two of the little beauties! When I caught my first it was also new to Cambridgeshire (though in a different vice-county). However, another Cambs garden has turned up caterpillars and this year also adults. Are my moths migrants or is there a local population?